Industrial control systems can be employed to regulate operation of equipment in an industrial environment, where operation of the equipment can include process(es) typically directed to accomplishment of a complex task or a streamlined, automated task, such as large scale manufacturing. Regulation of operation of the equipment and related process(es) typically exploits and produces substantive amounts of control data, which include configuration data such as controller code, human-machine interface (HMI) data, process recipe(s) and report definitions, or the like. In addition, operation of industrial control systems also produces both real-time and historical data about the status of regulated equipment and related process(es), the data including alarms, process values, and audit/error logs. To operate industrial control systems, various HMIs in the industrial environment render control data (real-time (or last known) and historical data) through operator interfaces which convey process overviews or equipment detail. Multiple operator interfaces can be created to provide rich information related to the various control processes implemented in the industrial control system so that the operator can switch between them to monitor various aspects of the equipment and related process(es) under control. Various factors contribute to the time and human resources necessary to configure an operator interface(s) employed to render control data in an industrial environment, and arrange an operator interface(s) in relation to other operator interfaces or other items (e.g., folders, controls, etc.); such factors include, for example, complexity of the application associated with the control system, complexity of the equipment and related process(es) that are regulated through one or more controllers, amount of control data collected as part of controlling the equipment and the related process(es), and security protocols and associated data necessary to ensure operational integrity of the equipment.
Further, during run time, when an application, associated with a control system includes a significant number of operator interfaces (e.g., screens) that a user has to interact with to facilitate monitoring and controlling operations of the control system, management of the various operator interfaces can be challenging. Various factors contribute to the difficulties faced by a user (e.g., operator) due to having to manage, interact, or navigate a significant number of operator interfaces during run time, wherein the factors can include, for example, the number of operator interfaces associated with the application, the respective types of interfaces, the complexity of the application, control system and/or associated equipment, the amount of control data collected as part of controlling the equipment and the related process(es), the frequency with which a user has to transition from one operator interface to another, and security protocols and associated data necessary to ensure operational integrity of the equipment. Further, different users, who perform different functions in relation to the application and control system, can desire or require different subsets of operator interfaces during run time. Conventional industrial control systems fail to manage operator interfaces effectively. Moreover, due in part to the various roles of users, and various levels of trust associated with respective users, in relation to the application and control system, security of operator interfaces associated with an application and associated control system is a concern.
The above-described deficiencies of today's systems are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.